...saves nine. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Penny wise, pound foolish. Sayings like these are found in all languages and cultures and have withstood the test of time because they contain wisdom which we ignore at our peril. In the US we appear to have forgotten such wisdom entirely. As the UN Conference on Climate (COP26) descends into the usual wrangling between North and South, West and East, it is worth recalling that warnings about global warming have been sounded for decades with little action. While there is plenty of blame to go around world-wide, this post is about how we in the US have, or rather have not, dealt with this problem. Our so-called conservatives have stymied all attempts to acknowledge the problem even exists or the role of human activity in causing it. As the evidence supporting the science mounts with unusual weather patterns, floods, forest fires, droughts and rising sea levels Republicans at all levels of government continue in denial mode. Like a modern-day Nero fiddling while Rome burns Senator Inhofe (R-OK) stands on the Senate floor, snowball in hand, pouring scorn on the scientists and the science of climate change while "moderate" Democrat Manchin (WV) lets his own political interest get in the way of doing the right thing. I preface "conservatives" with "so-called" because they have by now a well-established record of abandoning traditional conservative values in favor of political gain. One would think allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices is a free-market no-brainer. How about increasing the IRS budget so scofflaws could be audited and made to pay their taxes and average citizens could get actual help on the IRS help line? Of course, such actions would be political suicide if you get campaign contributions from Big Pharma and billionaire tax dodgers. Maybe they could encourage people to take the COVID vaccine for their own personal well-being and public health- especially when, under Trump, they spent so much money to develop it at warp speed. Instead they encourage vaccine resistance among their followers, presumably to keep them in a state of agitation against all reason, while ensuring they themselves and their families are vaccinated. The ultimate example of anti-conservatism is the repeated charging of tax cuts for the rich to the national debt while loudly decrying any attempt to pay for anything resembling progressive measures by raising taxes. Unfortunately, the fact is Republicans can continue to behave in this way potentially for ever because the combination of the Electoral College and gerrymandering means they only have to fool a minority of voters to stay in control. In this relatively conservative country Republicans have managed to convince enough voters that they stand for conservative values and that the opposite of conservative is liberal. In truth, the opposite of conservative is radical, which is what the Republican party has become. It will take clear-headedness, dedication and perseverance on the part of progressives of all stripes to put an end to this seemingly irreversible trend.
A finishing touch to my last post - Shareholders vs Stakeholders. A few days ago my wife and I went out for dinner with friends - a fading memory of pre-pandemic times. Our enjoyment of the food and company was dampened when we learnt that the person waiting on us was a high school science teacher. Something is very wrong with a system in which a person with a science degree has to supplement her teaching income by waiting tables in the evenings and weekends to make ends meet.